I keep hearing all these stories about this brand, that brand, this other brand having problems out of the box. Who can I trust for a reliable 1911 either full size or commander size out of the box for under $1500? I just have a problem with a gun costing that much not working perfectly.
Thanks
Ken

Best in my opinion for an out the door sub-1500, no wait, ready to go out the box and doesn't need anything (I said need) would have to be a Springer TRP. Can get one out the door for 1400 that gives you money for 300 rounds to feed it.
JMO

At this price point the guns will all be production guns. That said there MAY be some performance issues with any manufacturer. So the decision should be which company will stand behind the gun with the most consistency.
Joe

Ruger 1911, Remington 1911, Colt, Springfield TRP (or range officer if you want a more classic-looking gun fit to the same specs as the TRP), Dan Wessons can be had for under 1500 for the high-quality guns...

Ruger 1911, Remington 1911, Colt, Springfield TRP (or range officer if you want a more classic-looking gun fit to the same specs as the TRP), Dan Wessons can be had for under 1500 for the high-quality guns...

Have you had a chance to shoot the Ruger 1911? I am curious how it shoots. If it is as good as their revolvers it will be one bad mo fo.

__________________“A 9mm might expand, but a .45 will never shrink!”A man at the range asked why i only shoot 1911's? I answered its simple because that's what God shoots.

Ken I don't own a bunch, just a couple of Rock Islands, a Colt XSE & a Ruger. Some here will think I'm nuts, but so far the Ruger is my favorite. It's a slightly biased opinion becasue the Colt went back for warranty work & Custom work and it is still there, so no side by side comparison yet. For under $700 the Ruger is a great value.

My experience has been that the LESS you mess with a 1911, the better it runs. Unless you have a TRUSTED smith (ie Yost, Rodgers, etc) don't let most "smiths" touch it...more good 1911's have been boogered up by a "gunsmith" than probably any other gun.

I have a Colt Series 70 repro that is nearly 100% bone stock (down to the sights) and has over 15K competition rounds through it and it has never bobbled. I dumped the MIM extractor when I got it due to it being one of the first 50 S70 repros, and replaced it with a Wilson bulletproof.

My WW2 repro is also nearly bone stock...only changed the trigger to the correct WW2 checkered model for a more correct look. It too has been 100% after nearly 2000 rounds through it.

My 1971 Colt LW Commander was tuned by Yost (sights, carry trigger job, and throat job so it would feed hollowpoints). I've found that the modern Colt dimpled throats feed EVERYTHING...don't mess with it.

Finally, I have a TRP that I've changed the MS housing on (prefer the arched), dumped the FLGR for a GI setup, and changed the sights to the Springfield drop in adjustables. Again, minor tweaks, but I've done that to my Glock 19 as well (slide stop, changed the recoil guide rod and sights).

All of my 1911's are every bit as reliable as ANY polymer gun. Keep it clean, lubed and feed it good ammo and your experience should be the same. the myth that Glocks are unstoppable or more reliable than a 1911 is a myth fed by 1911's that have been messed with.

Have you had a chance to shoot the Ruger 1911? I am curious how it shoots. If it is as good as their revolvers it will be one bad mo fo.

The ruger is proving to be an excellent 1911. The one I've fondled has left me with no doubt it will do the job. It's not quite what I want (do I really need another 1911? ), but it's an excellent gun.

My experience has been that the LESS you mess with a 1911, the better it runs. Unless you have a TRUSTED smith (ie Yost, Rodgers, etc) don't let most "smiths" touch it...more good 1911's have been boogered up by a "gunsmith" than probably any other gun.

I have a Colt Series 70 repro that is nearly 100% bone stock (down to the sights) and has over 15K competition rounds through it and it has never bobbled. I dumped the MIM extractor when I got it due to it being one of the first 50 S70 repros, and replaced it with a Wilson bulletproof.

My WW2 repro is also nearly bone stock...only changed the trigger to the correct WW2 checkered model for a more correct look. It too has been 100% after nearly 2000 rounds through it.

My 1971 Colt LW Commander was tuned by Yost (sights, carry trigger job, and throat job so it would feed hollowpoints). I've found that the modern Colt dimpled throats feed EVERYTHING...don't mess with it.

Finally, I have a TRP that I've changed the MS housing on (prefer the arched), dumped the FLGR for a GI setup, and changed the sights to the Springfield drop in adjustables. Again, minor tweaks, but I've done that to my Glock 19 as well (slide stop, changed the recoil guide rod and sights).

All of my 1911's are every bit as reliable as ANY polymer gun. Keep it clean, lubed and feed it good ammo and your experience should be the same. the myth that Glocks are unstoppable or more reliable than a 1911 is a myth fed by 1911's that have been messed with.

My $0.02

Amen to this. ANd while the 1911 is certainly the Hot Rod/Lego/erector set of the pistol world, one can easily fox up a perfectly good gun trying to "improve" it, and the subsequent learning experience can be very very costly, just to unfox it.

As produced I had no issues with the perfirmance and reliability of a Series I Gold Match, Springfield Armory Trophy Match and early MilSpec, olld Colt warhorse, a Caspian frame 1911 and a couple others I don't recall at th moment. They were all usd and unmodified. Accuracy was as designed for the respective tier each was produced for.

I also had 2 Para Ordnance 1911's. One a 40 the other a 45 LTD. Bothran out of the box. The Ltd was a handome gun but lacked the trigger quality and accuracy one woul. Expect from that grade pistol.

I bought two customs - a Wilson KZ 45 and a Baer PII. Again both used. I still have the Baer and it is 100% a keeper. The KZ needed a guide rod ( the polymer one was broken) but otherwise was 100%.

All these guns, each for under $1500. The others have made sound suggestions. Is there really a best for under $1500? No, but there us a best for you. You can see many most do not require tinkering. Try to shoot a couple which appeal to you and
make your choice. Then enjoy it.

There is a reason Kimber sells the most 1911's. It is true you will find some who have had issues, every manufacturer has. Warranty may only state a year, but if your not a total jackass when you call CS to report a problem they have been documented to stand behind their guns, even used ones.

I own a Tactical II HD 700 rounds no problems, 100 of which are my reloads....those 100 are the first reloads I've ever made.

One more note. After owning 2 Colt Series 80's in the 1980's, I will NEVER own another 1911 with ANY kind of firing pin safety. You want it to go bang every time...stick with the basic design as JMB designed it, and don't assume that any corporate lawyers could improve on his design...

There is a reason Kimber sells the most 1911's. It is true you will find some who have had issues, every manufacturer has. Warranty may only state a year, but if your not a total jackass when you call CS to report a problem they have been documented to stand behind their guns, even used ones.

I own a Tactical II HD 700 rounds no problems, 100 of which are my reloads....those 100 are the first reloads I've ever made.

Kimbers are great for the average guy.

Unfortunately in more than a few classes, guys running kimbers start having issues with certain, predictable parts around the 4k round mark, including cracked barrel bushings and other issues.

Beside from this, and my own personal issues with each of 5 kimbers i've owned/tried and a horrible lack of CS from Kimber, if you have one that works, go for it.

That's not far from the truth. Kimber, in its early days, built a reputation for building a gun to an exacting standard encompassing the many many improvements that shooters wanted smiths to make to guns like Colt, as far as I know, making them much more like Ed Brown than they are today.

They built on this reputation as they expanded and increased production, however as with all operations, the greater the size, the more susceptible to flaws they become.

Kimbers aren't bad guns. They just suffer from some issues that take work to resolve, and would be resolved if they had more QC and/or a slightly lower production push, or more people trained to give the fitting and QC aspects attention.

However, the fact that they're trying to make a gun in the image of a semi-custom like a Brown, but do it at the production speed and volume of a Springfield or other mass-production gun, has only lead to more issues and further decline in quality than it has brought semi-custom quality to the lower price bracket.

They all make a bad pistol regardless if it's a $2500 semi-custom or a $1300 production one. I purchased an enhanced stainless combat commander model Colt from the mid 1990s that within the first 50 rds the slide welded/froze to the frame. Others that jammed and had to be sent back, while still others had small out of spec part issues.

My current favorite carry 1911 is the Super Carry Pro from Kimber. Over 1500 trouble free rounds and no QA issues whatsoever. I like how it carries, the accuracy, and the very nice feel in hand. The parts fit very nicely. I could care less that it has MIM parts.

There is a reason Kimber sells the most 1911's. It is true you will find some who have had issues, every manufacturer has. Warranty may only state a year, but if your not a total jackass when you call CS to report a problem they have been documented to stand behind their guns, even used ones.

I own a Tactical II HD 700 rounds no problems, 100 of which are my reloads....those 100 are the first reloads I've ever made.

What's the reason? I'm thinking marketing. That being said, it must work because I want the super carry II. lol

NOTICE TO USERS OF THIS SITE: By continuing to use this site, you certify that you have read and agree to abide by the Legal Terms of Use. All information, data, text or other materials ("Content") posted to this site by any users are the sole responsibility of those users. 1911Forum does not guarantee the accuracy, integrity, or quality of such Content.